


Cole+Jay (oneshot) :))

by mikey_distortion



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Claustrophobia, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Reconciliation, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:13:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29559627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikey_distortion/pseuds/mikey_distortion
Summary: Cole comforts Jay after an upsetting experience.
Relationships: Cole/Jay Walker
Kudos: 41





	Cole+Jay (oneshot) :))

**Author's Note:**

> uhh so this takes place after s3 ep3 but before ep4, kind of an au?? where they spend the night at the junkyard to rest after fighting off the nindroids and finding the scale ,, and I think Jay's really upset by small spaces and he probably honestly thought he was gonna die when Nya was deciding between wires because the walls were closing in and he was powerless to stop it,, like,, he trusts Nya a LOT but after she took until the air was being crushed out of his lungs to decide he probably was feeling more than a little scared for his life / experiencing acute trauma…. … …….. also bc earlier in the episode Cole and jay r fighting over Nya even though Cole has NEVER shown interest in her b4 which I thought could be an opportunity 4 cole+jay, like,, Cole is fighting back so hard bc he's got a little thing 4 jay LOL so sillie ( and while I really really like cole + kai I wanted 2 do this it was just too perfect) N-E-WAYZ here's the fic sorry 4 the long explanation :))

Cole could hear him crying again.

It was quiet, sure, but he was certain he could recognize it anywhere. Not by his choice, not even that he had heard it often; rather it had been pounded into his memory by the events of that afternoon. 

He turned over onto his side, away from the faint noise. He wanted nothing to do with Jay right now; he was still stuck on the sudden conflict for Nya that had sprung up earlier. It's not like he had thought of her as anything more than a close friend before today, and he wasn't even sure he did now, but he just couldn't let himself just _give up. _Give up on  
what? Nya?__

__No. He didn't think so._ _

__Whatever it was, he just couldn’t let Jay win._ _

__He didn't _care _about how Jay was feeling. But…___ _

____No._ _ _ _

____Just because Jay'd been a little shaken up by the more dangerous stuff earlier didn't mean anything, especially not Cole's _pity _. He firmly shut his eyes, aggressively settling back into the mat Jay's parents had laid on the floor for him. After how eventful the day had been, they'd insisted the ninja set up camp for the night in the junkyard; and by some kind of _"coincidence" _he'd ended up with Jay, in the guy's childhood room no less. _God.______ _ _ _

__________Jay's parents really wanted them to work it out, that much was obvious. Cole could tell it was less about Nya, though, then that Jay could have some resolve about the situation. Like Cole was ever going to work it out with _him _. That slimy, conniving-___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Another tiny sob._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________After another minute of silence, Cole finally rolled over to face Jay, who was apparently sound asleep in a too-small twin bed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________" _Jay _," he hissed to the quiet bed. He was met with a valiant attempt to stay quiet, foiled by shaky and wet breathing.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________"I know you're awake, man," Cole whispered. After a moment, Jay stubbornly rolled over to look him in the eye. His eyes were obviously red and watery, and his face was damp in the sliver of moon that crept into the small room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________" _What do you want _?" Jay spit back.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________"To know what's wrong with you so you'll shut up and I can sleep, loser," Cole snapped. "I can just _feel _the self-pity you're wading around in, man. Is this about Nya? We can talk about this in the morning-"___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"It's not," Jay whispered._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"What?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"About Nya."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________They sit in the silence of the room, taking in each other's faces for a moment. Jay maintained his shaky stare, and Cole got the unsettling feeling that he was being looked _through _.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________"Well?" Cole asked, in an attempt to split the quiet that was boring into him. "Are you gonna tell me or not?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Jay opened and shut his mouth a couple times, but nothing came out but forced and heavy silence. Cole sighed in frustration, racking his brain for anything else that could have Jay so upset. The fight hadn't been anything abnormal, so it couldn't have been that, right? Was he still tied up on the junk compactor? It'd only been like 2 minutes, and he'd been in situations like that before. No, it couldn't be that. Unless?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Cole scrounged together his memories of what'd happened, sorting through the day. Jay had been normal- well, as normal as one can be after getting his place with Nya threatened- until after the compactor. He'd been a little shaken up, sure, but he'd seemed fine. Then again, Cole couldn't say he'd been paying close attention after they’d gotten out. But he did remember what happened _in _the trash-crushing hole.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________\---_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________It had been dark after the grate closed over them. Cole remembered the sinking dread that set in soon after the walls began to slowly squeeze them inwards, and he remembered calling out to Nya for help. She’d quickly gotten to the control panel, and promptly identified a way to stop it. But she’d hesitated. It took her almost a full minute to get the thing stopped, and by then he and Jay were pressed into both walls. He’d been a _little _scared, sure, but when you’ve spent a good part of your life manipulating solid rock you get used to a tight squeeze. Jay, though… Jay hadn’t been doing too well. When the sides of the pit started to move inwards, the first thing Jay had done was crack a joke. Of course he just _had _to crack a joke; it wasn’t like that pea-brain of his was good for anything else. But after a couple seconds, he was quiet. Cole, who’d been pushing up against the crusher to try and resist, had looked over to see Jay, pale-faced, start to shake. Cole had shifted so his arms were on either side of Jay, hoping to create one point of pressure against the walls so they’d bend, or stop, or shift, or _anything _, when something changed. He had felt a head press into his shoulder. He glanced down quickly to see the blue ninja buried in the fabric of his ghi, arms reaching past Cole, bracing against the other steadily nearing wall. With a start, he’d realized that Jay was _crying _. They’d lived in the same room for ages but he’d never seen him _cry _. Sobs had wracked Jay’s body, and he’d shook and shook and shook until Cole had wondered how he was still holding together. The walls had pressed tighter, suffocating and cold as they’d begun to push against Cole’s back. He remembered that he’d waited for Jay to make some stupid joke about a ninja sandwhich, but he had just whimpered and pressed himself into Cole. Cole had then taken one arm off of the wall and, as gingerly as he could, held Jay’s head to his shoulder, laying his head against Jay’s. The walls had gotten so close and Nya had said nothing in too long, and Cole remembered honestly thinking for a second, near the end, that he was going to die.___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________And then, without further warning, the walls had simply stopped, grinding to a halt before beginning a slow retreat backwards. Jay had held onto him until the grate opened, and then quickly stumbled back, rubbing his eyes furiously and recovering his breath. The rest was history. They’d found the scale, fought off the nindroids, and now he was here; looking at Jay under the moon._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Jay, are-” Cole hesitated. “-Are you okay?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________As he watched, Jay’s chin quivered, tears spilling over. He shook his head, hands gripping the sheets he lay on top of._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________Cole stood up, and slowly crept towards the bed, stopping to kneel by Jay’s head. He couldn’t believe he was going let himself _comfort _the guy; but Jay just looked so small and helpless in that moment that he couldn’t just let him stay like that. They’d been friends once, after all, even if they weren’t still so under all of the arguing.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Jay slid out from the top of the mattress, kneeling on the floor next to Cole. He looked at him with those _eyes _, deep and silver with tears, his hair disheveled from the pillow. A strand fell across his face, sticking to his damp cheek, and Cole reached out to gently tuck it behind his ear. Jay leaned into his touch, and Cole found himself holding the pitiful ninja to his chest, hands cradling his head and resting on his back.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Jay gripped the back of Cole's faded sleep-shirt, burying his head into the sleeve. Eventually, his breathing slowed, and Cole drew back, holding Jay's face in his hands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________"Do you wanna- do you wanna talk about it?" He asked quietly. Jay managed to choke out a yes, taking a deep breath in. Cole removed his hands, waiting patiently for him to speak._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________After a moment, Jay opened up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________"I've never liked tight squeezes, but _that _? That was -" he took a sharp inhale. "-That was really, _really _bad, Cole."_____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________He took a moment to recover this thoughts._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________"I think I genuinely believed that I was going to _die _, man." Jay's voice broke as he spoke. "All I could think was that Nya wasn't going to make a choice at _all _, and the wires would stay uncut, and that the walls would just press and press and press and I'd be ground into the wall and it would be slow and agonizing and I can't get the image out of my head, Cole, I _can't _, it's been eating away at me every time I close my eyes and-" Jay's eyes looked off into nothing, and the sobs began to violently shake him again._______ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________Cole picked up Jay's hands, holding them tightly in his own. "Hey, hey, hey, you're okay now, man; you're okay-" he said gently, trying to comfort him any way he could. "-I'm here. I'm here." Jay nodded, and Cole drew him back in as the tears started running._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________"I'm here."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
